Elizabeth's First Period
by a muggle named Caity
Summary: PreCOTBP. Elizabeth has her first period while playing on the beach with Will. Oneshot. Please R&R.


**Title: **That Time of the Month. Period. - Elizabeth Swann Edition

**Author: **a muggle named Caity

**Summary: **Elizabeth has her first period. Pretty self-explanatory.

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! This is just a little oneshot I thought up while in the middle of writing the fourth chapter of 'I'm What?'. I hope you guys enjoy it.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own 'Pirates of the Caribbean'. Or any of the amazing characters. I just own everything that you don't recognize.

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Elizabeth's First Period

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"Elizabeth, should you really be doing that?" Will Turner questioned the free-spirited girl performing rather ungraceful cartwheels before him.

Elizabeth Swann, his spunky, upper-class friend, replied casually, "Will, you worry far too much. Just relax."

Will watched as Elizabeth did several more graceless cartwheels in the wet sand on the beach they were currently occupying, kicking up rather large amounts of dirt as she went. "Elizabeth! You're of a higher class! And you're a woman!"

Elizabeth snorted. "I don't care. Honestly. And they're just cartwheels!"

"But, you're being rather un-ladylike," Will pointed out.

Elizabeth shrugged before doing another cartwheel. "Will, I honestly don't care. I'm only 14-years-old for Heaven's sakes! I don't _have _to act like a proper lady just yet."

"But-"

"But, what if my father finds out?" Elizabeth interrupted. "Will, please stop worrying. My father knows I act like this."

"But-"

"But nothing!" Elizabeth exclaimed, irritated. "I know he _wants _me to act like a proper lady, but he doesn't _expect _it of me. So, it's fine!"

Will rolled his eyes in defeat. "Fine. Do what you want. I just don't want you to get into any trouble."

Elizabeth smiled as she sat down on a rock beside her friend . "I appreciate it, Will. I really do. But, it's fine. You honestly worry far too much for your own good sometimes." Elizabeth then began to chuckle good-naturedly. "I mean, we're both only 14-years-old; we don't have to worry about such things just yet. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Will sighed, then smiled over at Elizabeth. "Yes, and I suppose you're right."

"Of course I am." Elizabeth laughed. "And you'll do well to listen to me from now on."

Will rolled his eyes playfully.

"Now," Elizabeth began, standing up from the rock she'd been sitting on, "let's do some more cartwheels!" Elizabeth held out her hand to Will, who took it easily.

As Elizabeth helped Will to his feet, Will glanced over at the rock Elizabeth had just previously been occupying and furrowed his brows - there, on the rock, was a large, dark red spot. Looking back over towards Elizabeth, he noticed something quite peculiar on her lower backside: the same dark red spot.

"Um, Elizabeth…." Will began hesitantly.

"Hmm?"

"Uh…."

"What is it, Will?" Elizabeth urged him.

"What is that?" Will pointed over towards the rock Elizabeth had been sitting on.

"I have no idea," Elizabeth breathed, staring at the red stain on the rock. She turned back towards Will. "Was that there when I sat down? I didn't really look before I sat down."

"I don't know." Will shrugged. "There's an identical spot on the back of your dress as well," Will pointed out to her.

Elizabeth turned her head and glanced down the backside of her dress. There she saw the same dark red spot soaked across the lower part of the her dress as she had seen on the rock. Perplexed, Elizabeth began to stare off in front of her, realization slowly beginning to sink in. Continuing to stare straight ahead, she slowly lowered herself to a sitting position and timidly reached under her dress. Her eyes widened as she felt something warm and wet: blood.

With this new realization, she immediately sprung to her feet and took off at dead run towards her house.

"Elizabeth?" Will watched worriedly as Elizabeth ran from the beach. "Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth did not turn back; she made no indication that she had even heard Will call out to her. She just simply ran. She ran as if her life depended on it - which she seriously, at the present time, thought that it did.

Upon reaching the front steps of her house, she immediately began calling out for her father.

"Father! Father! Are you here?" Elizabeth began to sob. She had no idea what was wrong with her, and felt as if her father was the only person she could talk to. But, she couldn't seem to find him anywhere.

Quickly ascending the stairs, Elizabeth hoped to find her father on the upper level of their home. Running blindly down the hallway, she failed to notice one of the maids walking in her direction; as a result, they collided, each toppling to the floor with a loud _thud_.

"Miss Elizabeth, I'm terribly sorry," her maid, Estrella, apologized, quickly jumping to her feet. "Next time I'll be more careful about where I'm walking." As she turned to leave, Elizabeth called out to her.

"Estrella, do you know where my father is?" She asked hopefully. It was then that Estrella noticed the tear streaks running freely down the younger girl's flushed cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I do not. All I know is that he went into town earlier and isn't expected to be back till nightfall." Elizabeth's shoulders slumped disappointedly. "Is there something I can assist you with?"

"I'm not sure…. This is something that I would truly like to speak to my father about," Elizabeth replied hesitantly.

"Oh, well, if you're sure." Estrella then turned to leave once more.

"Estrella, wait!" Elizabeth called out suddenly. Estrella stopped mid-stride and turned back around to face the younger girl. "I suppose I could tell you, since you always take care of me when I'm ill…." Estrella smiled, encouraging Elizabeth to go on. "Would you happen to know what this is from?" Elizabeth turned around, giving Estrella a good look at the backside of her dress. Estrella smiled knowingly.

"Come with me." Estrella nodded in the direction of her bedroom. Elizabeth followed her maid, though somewhat apprehensively.

Upon reaching her room, Estrella immediately walked over to one of her dresser drawers and pulled it open. After rummaging inside for a minute or two, she found what she was looking for: a sock. She then quickly pushed the dresser drawer closed and turned around to face Elizabeth, who had been waiting nervously in the doorway.

"Use one of these," she said, holding out the sock for Elizabeth to take. Elizabeth stared at the sock quizzically.

"What I am to do with that?" Elizabeth asked, unsure of exactly why her maid was giving her one of her socks.

"Well, you place it in your knickers of course," Estrella said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why?" Elizabeth was confused to say the least.

Estrella frowned. "Why? Well, because you're on your period."

"I'm on my what?" Estrella chuckled.

"Your period. It is something that happens once every month for around five to eight days," Estrella explained. "You bleed because your body no longer needs to use the blood it's stored up."

"Why would I need to store up blood?" Elizabeth asked, still somewhat confused. "Don't I need all of my blood?"

Estrella chuckled lightly as she continued. "This blood is not blood used for your body; it is blood used to help you develop a baby during pregnancy, but since you are not pregnant, your body no longer needs it. That's why you have a period, so your body can dispose of the blood it no longer needs." Estrella could practically see the light go off in Elizabeth's head.

"Oh…" Elizabeth thought she understood now. "I see. I think I understand now. So, this is nothing out of the ordinary?"

Estrella shook her head, smiling at her charge. "No, of course not. It happens to every girl when they are around your age. And it will continue to happen to you, as well as every other girl in the world, until you reach somewhere around your forties. So, don't worry - everything is perfectly normal and natural."

"Thank you for explaining this all to me." Elizabeth smiled gratefully up at her maid. "I am somewhat glad that I ran into you - literally." Both Estrella and Elizabeth chuckled. "Something tells me that this would've been a little more awkward to talk to my father about, had I found him instead."

"You are most welcome, Miss. If you ever need to talk about something that you'd feel more comfortable talking about with another woman rather than your father, bless his heart, I will always be here for you," Estrella told the young girl, smiling.

Elizabeth leaned over and gave her maid a hug. "Thank you again," Elizabeth thanked Estrella once more.

"Well," Estrella began, "should we get you out of this dress and into a nice, clean one?"

"Oh, yes." Elizabeth sighed, relieved. "I am beginning to feel rather uncomfortable in this dress."

Estrella and Elizabeth quickly walked back down the hall to the latter's room, where Estrella helped Elizabeth change into a clean dress. She also explained and showed her the basics of where to put the sock and when to change it.

As the pair finished their chat, one of the butlers called up to Elizabeth from the bottom of the stairway.

"Miss Elizabeth, a Mister William Turner is hear to see you."

Upon hearing the butler's call, Elizabeth hurriedly dashed from her room - she had completely forgotten about leaving Will alone on the beach. Descending the stairway two steps at a time, she quickly ran past the butler and out onto the front porch, where Will was waiting.

At the sound of the front door to the Swann Residence opening, Will turned around and came face-to-face with Elizabeth. Quickly pulling his friend into a tight embrace, he breathed a sigh of utmost relief.

"God, Elizabeth, here you are! I've been looking all over for you!" Will exclaimed. "Have you been here the whole time? What's wrong? Why did you run away? Why-" Elizabeth stopped him mid-sentence.

"Will, I'm fine," Elizabeth attempted to reassure her friend. "Relax."

"But, what's wrong?" Will prodded. "Why did you run away?"

Elizabeth turned away guiltily. "'Tis nothing."

"Oh no, you don't." Will turned her back to directly face him. "I know you, and I know you only run away like that when something awful happens. So, please tell me what's wrong."

"Will, it's honestly nothing," Elizabeth told him firmly, embarrassed about what his reaction would be if he knew what was truly going on with her. "I'm sorry I ran off like that; I don't know what's gotten into me. But, can we please just drop it?"

"Fine. Don't tell me." Will turned away, disheartened. "It deeply pains me to know that you do not consider me a good enough friend to let me what is truly bothering you though."

Elizabeth felt tears prickle the corners of her eyes. What Will said had really stung her. She wanted to tell him what was bothering her; truly she did, but she didn't want Will to laugh at her.

"Oh, Will," Elizabeth cried, "I just do not wish for you to laugh at my discomforting situation…."

Will turned back to face Elizabeth, an incredulous look plastered across his tan face. "Laugh at you? Why on earth would I laugh at you?" Will couldn't believe Elizabeth. He had truly thought that she had known him better than that; known him well enough to know that he would never take pleasure at her discomfort. "I thought you knew me well enough to know that I would never laugh at something that you felt uncomfortable about sharing."

Elizabeth looked down at her feet shamefully. "I'm sorry; I should've never doubted you, for I know deep down that you wouldn't take pleasure at my expense. But, this is all new to me…. The only person I felt comfortable confiding in was my father."

"But, you can confide in me," Will told her softly, yet firmly. "You know I am always here for you, and I'll try to help you anyway I possibly can."

Elizabeth smiled. "Okay, I suppose I can tell you…. But, you have to _promise_ that you won't laugh at me."

"I promise," Will told her sincerely.

"I got my…period today." Elizabeth whispered.

Will looked confusedly at his friend. "I beg your pardon, your what?"

"My period," Elizabeth said, a little more strongly.

Realization dawned on Will. "Oh…. You got your oh…. I see now."

Elizabeth simply nodded.

"I see now why you didn't particularly want to come right out and tell me," Will said. "My mum had those every month when she was alive. She didn't really like talking about her's either."

"They are a bit embarrassing to discuss," Elizabeth admitted meekly. "Especially with men, seeing as they do not quite understand it as well as we girls do."

"Then, why did you want to confide in your father? He's a man," Will pointed out.

"But, he's my father," Elizabeth replied, as if it make all the difference in the world. "It's different with him than all other men."

Will nodded understandably.

"Well," Elizabeth began after a few moments of awkward silence. "Do you want to go back to the beach and do cartwheels with me?"

"Are you sure you feel up to it?" Will asked, concerned.

Elizabeth huffed. "I have my period; I'm not ill."

"I just thought that-" Elizabeth cut him off.

"Well you thought wrong." Elizabeth chuckled. "I'm fine, but thank you for being concerned." She offered Will a small smile. Will smiled in return.

"Now," Elizabeth began again, "I'll race you to the beach; last one there has to do the other's bidding for a week."

Before Will could even respond, Elizabeth had already taken off at a run towards the beach.

"No fair! You cheated!" Will immediately took off after her, laughing all the while.

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**Author's Note: **Thanks for reading! Any and all reviews are appreciated. :) 


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